JEC RACING 2008

Donington - 5th May 2008

JEC Racing - Vredestein XK Challenge

This was the second round of the championship in its new format, a forty-five minute race with pit stop, combined with other period sports cars, and it is already proving hugely popular with the drivers, including a few who have learnt that they can get two drives by swapping cars at half distance.

The morning was misty and wet, the track was slippery but in qualifying, the drivers warmed to the task, with Rob Newall and Michael O'Shea the fastest of the XKs, ahead of three E-types and followed by seven XKs, with only two seconds covering this bunch, as low grip evened up performance.

By the time of the race, the sun was out and the track was dry. Newall went into the lead pursued by Phil Keene starting the O'Shea car, managing to get past after a few laps. Lap times were already down by 20 seconds from qualifying and the more powerful cars began to recover their advantage, so that before the field began to string out, several driver groups were tied together, including Ian Mills and John Burton, Graham Love, Colin Youle and Andy Keith-Lucas. One of the XKs then went sick and spread a film of oil over most of the circuit. First casualty who missed the oil flags at the Old Hairpin was race leader Keene, losing much time before extricating himself, but all around the circuit a number of other drivers had spins, some had several, and one car got the blame for the lot. No room for driver error here.

On through the pit stops, some cars black flagged for pit lane speeding, close and exciting racing and in no time the chequered flag came out, with Newall the victor, Andy Moore winning class D in second, and a great result for John Roberts and Chris Keith-Lucas. With an engine misfire, they qualified in a lowly position, but a distributor rebuild before the race enabled them to pass one car after another, finally achieving third place among the XKs.